New Cable Colour Code

Technical Guidelines

Installation guidelines | Cable supply evaluation

Installation guidelines

Introduction

With effect from 1 July 2007, colour for identification of conductors in fixed electrical installations has been changed, and the details are shown in Table 1 below and Amendment No. 1:2007 to the Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations (CoP).

Function

Colour

Letter Code

Old Colour Code

New Colour Code

Phase of single phase circuit

red

(or yellow or white or blue )

brown

L

Phase 1 of 3-phase circuit

red

brown

L1

Phase 2 of 3-phase circuit

yellow or white

black

L2

Phase 3 of 3-phase circuit

blue

grey

L3

Neutral

black

blue

N

Protective conductor

green and yellow

green and yellow

--

The change is applicable to all new electrical installations as well as addition & alteration to existing electrical installations. Existing installations with cables adopting the old cable colour code will not be affected.

A Working Group on the Review of Cable Colour Code in Hong Kong comprising members from the trade and industry was established in Year 2003 to study the cable colour change issue in Hong Kong. In mid 2004, the Working Group proposed to adopt the new cable colour code in Hong Kong. The change was then endorsed by the Electrical Safety Advisory Committee in September 2004.

The new cable colour code complies with the requirements of relevant national and international standards (such as IEC 60446, EN 60446, BS EN 60446 and BS 7671) and has been adopted by the majority of the western countries countries (e.g. UK, France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal, etc.).

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